Merchandising dispensers are used in retail environments, such as grocery stores, to store and dispense cans of food products, such as, for example, soups, beverages, etc. Conventional dispensers store and dispense cans which are in a horizontal orientation, i.e., the axes of the cylindrical cans are horizontally oriented. Such dispensers may store the cans side-by-side on an angled ramp inside the dispenser, so that they roll down to the dispensing output on the front surface of the dispenser through the force of gravity as cans are removed from the dispenser by the consumer.
However, in conventional dispensers, the product is viewed by the consumer in its horizontal orientation prior to selection and dispensing, rather than in a vertical orientation corresponding to the label on the product. This can make it difficult for the consumer to identify the product and is detrimental to the shopping experience. Also, displaying products in the horizontal orientation reduces the effectiveness of the label design, which can be an important component of the product's brand identity and marketing strategy. Moreover, the horizontal orientation of the product is at odds with conventional retail displays of vertically-oriented cans on a fixed shelf, which may result in dissonance in the consumer's perception and recollection of the product's label.